This invention relates to a reactor for reacting gaseous or vaporized hydrocarbons with water vapor to produce carbon monoxide- and hydrogen-containing gases at temperatures above 700.degree.C and under pressure of 5-80 kg/cm.sup.2 at catalyst material contained in tubes and indirectly heated in a heating zone, which contains a gaseous heating fluid.
Reactors of this kind are usually described briefly as tubular heaters. The hydrocarbon feedstock may consist, e.g., of natural gas or vaporized naphtha, and a rich gas consisting mainly of methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, may be further reacted in the reactor.
Because the hydrocarbons are catalytically cracked to form CO and H.sub.2 by an endothermic reaction, the catalyst material must be indirectly heated. Whereas the catalysts comprise in most cases nickel on a heat-resisting support, such as alumina, the reactor which will be described hereinafter is not restricted to the use of a specific catalyst.
Tubular heaters in which a heating gas is used at temperatures above 800.degree.C, preferably about 850.degree.-1100.degree.C and under a pressure of 20 to above 80 kg/cm.sup.2, preferably 30-60 kg/cm.sup.2, must have an expensive, pressure-resisting housing.